


Of Pieces of Jade and Everlasting Bonds

by Sillus



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: AAAAAA, Angst, AtLA AU, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, GARRY YOU NERD I TOLD YOU I WAS GONNA DO SOMETHING FOR YOU, I ALWAYS forget to add that tag, I PULLED AN ALLNIGHTER JUST TO WRITE THIS, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), hell yeah, im not sorry, uhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-11-02 10:07:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20708957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sillus/pseuds/Sillus
Summary: For every four yearsOn the day of your birthI shall grant you a piece of jadeTo signify your life journey.





	Of Pieces of Jade and Everlasting Bonds

**Author's Note:**

> For Garry!!  
This is based off of Garry's ATLA AU on tumblr; specifically a piece of art they drew that I'm not going to link right this second. I'll be sure to add the art later. If you don't know what this AU is, THEN GO LOOK IT UP!  
I literally wrote the majority of this throughout the night. Whoops.  
I hope you enjoy!  
EDIT: Here's a [link](https://facial-hair-fanatic-artdump.tumblr.com/post/186534239027/necklace-of-four-jades) to the art that inspired this. If you don't want massive spoilers for the fic, then refrain from clicking the link until the end.

He is almost four years old when he first meets the beast.

Four’s father had to oversee a training mission with the Kingdom’s future soldiers outside of the city, and he had elected to take Four with him both because nobody had been able to watch over him for a few days and because he wanted to show Four what it was like outside of the city—never mind that Four would likely forget the entire outing anyway.

Of course, Four wanders off from where the adults had set up camp earlier in the day. Being three years old and in a _very _unfamiliar place would only lead to said three year old getting overly curious.

Naturally, he gets lost.

He doesn’t _know_ he’s lost, either. After all, there are so many tall brown things with green on them! Oh! And red thingies in small green things! And blue thingies with the red thingies! And the ground is so crunchy and bumpy! He just wants to play and play with all this stuff! And so does Ezlo, if his loud chirping and excited flapping is anything to go by.

With so many fascinating little things capturing his attention, Four explores to his heart’s content while Ezlo keeps him company. He wanders deep into the woodland, investigating every little nook and cranny he comes across, nothing but an inquisitive nature driving him on and on, unaware of the dangers that may be lurking beyond his sight.

The sun is setting when Four finds a small alcove between the rocks. Ezlo makes himself comfortable on his head as Four begins poking around, flipping over rocks and watching the bugs underneath scurry away.

A low growl has Ezlo flying off and Four looking up from his exploration. In the long shadows cast by the sun lies a beast with gleaming red eyes and dark fur. Its lip curls when Four spots it, showing off sharp teeth that catch what little light there is. Four, not understanding the message the beast is trying to send, toddles over in glee. What _is_ this thing? Is it like the cats and dogs at home? It looks pretty fluffy, and it’s got pointy things on its face!

The beast snarls, standing up on huge clawed feet. Its fur bristles, which only entices Four to move even closer. He reaches out with a hand in the hopes of feeling if that fur is really as soft as it looks.

The beast stiffens under his touch as Four runs his tiny hand through the thick pelt. With a rumble, it leans down to sniff at Four, who giggles when its breath tickles his cheeks. Encouraged, he lets his other hand come up and submerge itself into the dark fur, finding that his hands and wrists have disappeared in the depths. _So soft…_

After a few minutes of Four playing with its fur, the beast relaxes and sits back down, watching him with a curious glint in its red eyes. Four follows suit, his interest not yet satisfied. At one point, he picks up one of the giant paws and pokes at the pads on them, laughing when the paw lightly swats at him in return. 

This is how his father, convinced he lost ten years of his life to terror alone, finds him. He had been prepared for the worse when his son went missing, tracking the obvious trail left behind by the toddler with his weapons at the ready. At the sight of an adult Hylian, the beast immediately lets out a roar, pulling Four close and tucking him under its head. His father’s heart nearly stops, until he realizes that the beast is trying to keep him _safe_. Before he can begin to diffuse the situation, Four wriggles out of the beast’s hold and scampers over to him.

“Papa!” He chirps, oblivious to his father protectively curling around the boy when he scoops him up. “Papa! It’s so fluffy, Papa! What is it?”

But his father doesn’t say anything in reply, only stating down the beast. The beast presses back against the wall, lip curled in a snarl once more, but it does not move to attack. Its eyes flick between Four and his father, a low growl in the back of its throat.

Four watches in silence as his father takes a step back, slow and deliberate, eyes not leaving the beast. When it does not follow, he takes another step. Their progress is slow-going, but steady, and soon enough they are making their way back to camp. Four keeps his eyes down, avoiding his father’s glare as he scolds the boy for wandering off.

“You could have gotten hurt, or worse! You cannot do that, Link!”

“I’m sorry,” Four mumbles. His father sighs.

“I know you love to explore, but don’t go off by yourself again.”

That night, curled in his Papa’s arms lest he wander off again, he swears he sees gleaming red eyes peer at him through the flap in the tent.

* * *

On his fourth birthday, Four meets the beast again.

His only desire had been to go outside the city and explore, and his father had predicted Four’s wish weeks beforehand. That is why Four finds himself almost submerged in a field of flowers, a wide grin on his face as he feels the soft petals between his fingers. His father looks on with a soft smile on his face as Four investigates everything he can find. He pulls up handfuls of grass, then digs them up to look at the roots. He picks at the bark on the trees, then squeals in delight when he finds little critters underneath. He asks his father about every little new thing he discovers, and his father is more than happy to explain the wonders of the world to his son. All the while, Ezlo follows Four everywhere he goes, chirping as he normally does.

He looks away for only a moment, and the next thing he knows, he hears Four cry out and his head whips back around as panic seizes his heart.

Only to find Four throwing his arms around a familiar dark beast, which rumbles in greeting as Four laughs and snuggles close.

“Papa, look!” Four calls, turning back to look at him in glee. “It’s the Fluffy!”

The beast looks rather disgruntled at its unofficial name, but does not lash out like Four’s father suspected. Instead, it plops down and drops something from its mouth. Four squawks as he is half-laid on, unaware of the beast and his father having a silent staring contest as he tries to wiggle free and see what the beast dropped.

It’s a pretty red rock-thing! Four snatches it from the ground, holding it up for his rather bewildered father to see.

“Look, Papa!”

“I see, Link,” His father murmurs, still staring at the beast. It puffs its chest out, looking almost smug as Ezlo flies circles around their heads. He walks over to the two, and while the beast is wary it does not flee or show any signs of aggression—instead losing its smug look to narrow its eyes at him instead.

“Let me see that,” His father says, taking the rock from Four’s hands when he holds it up. It’s not a rock at all, but rather a bright red piece of jade. He looks at the beast once more, only to find it watching Four as the boy immediately begins playing with its paw again, seemingly captivated by the squishy yet tough pads.

He does not know what Four did to earn this bizarre creature’s affection, but somehow, someway, Four touched the heart of this animal.

Four looks up at him, big blue eyes shining. “Can we keep him?”

The beast’s ears flatten against its head.

Four’s father shakes his head. “Afraid not, Link. Animals like this one do not belong in the city, no matter how mellow it is.”

But his father only realizes his mistake when Four’s eyes well up with tears and he burrows even closer to the beast. It automatically curls around him with a low rumble, but it watches his father carefully.

Four is getting older now, his father muses. He will not be easily contained in the city, and the older he gets, the harder it will be to stop him from wandering off. Four is very stubborn, and if he wants to go explore, he will give everyone hell until they either let him, or he tires himself out. The latter has only happened once out of _many times._

Besides, it’s his birthday.

So, much to Four’s delight, his father sighs and looks back at the beast. He must see something he approves of, because he looks back to Four and gives him a hesitant smile.

“Well, we may not be able to keep it, but if it sticks around, you might want a name for your new friend.”

Four nearly squeals, happiness and excitement instantly washing his disappointment away as he turns to the beast.

He studies it for a moment, and the beast patiently waits as Four’s father studies the piece of jade and wonders if he can poke a hole just big enough in the gem to thread a string through it—maybe with a little earth bending?

“What should I call you?” Four wonders out loud, studying the beast. It tilts its head, letting out a small huff.

“You look scary,” Four giggles, completely contradicting his statement, “and your fur is dark!” The beast looks down at its fur, tilting its head as Four continues. “And you like hiding in the dark so…” Four hums, tapping a finger to his chin as he thinks.

And then, “I’ll call you Shadow!” Four chirps, all smiles and giggles. The beast, now dubbed as Shadow, stares at Four for another moment before bumping its head against Four’s chest and sending him sprawling to the ground with a shriek of laughter. Shadow lets out another rumble that is quickly becoming to mean “satisfied” or “content.”

Later that day, after playing in the woodland for hours and hours on end with his animal friends, Shadow ends up curled around Four as he naps with Ezlo perched on his shoulder, the red piece of jade handing from his neck by a string his father produced for him.

* * *

Ever since Four’s fourth birthday, he has taken to going to that little patch of woodland whenever he has free time on his hands. Every time he shows up, Shadow is always patiently waiting for him, ready to play or nap or simply enjoy Four’s company. Every year following that fateful day, Four’s greatest desire for his birthday is to go outside the city and meet Shadow.

On his eighth birthday, however, Four is not exactly happy with his life at the moment. He storms onto the field where Shadow waits, hands curled into fists and teeth gnashing together. Ezlo lets out a worried squawk from where he follows.

“I just don’t get it,” He snaps, coming to a stop as Shadow ambles up with a purr in greeting. The beast tilts his head when Four crosses his arms with a huff. “Why does everyone call me Four? It doesn’t make any sense! And why does Papa ever let me go outside without him? I’m eight years old! I can take care of myself!”

Shadow only rumbles in reply, nudging Four and brushing against him when Four only lets out an angry sigh. He raises his hand to give his friend a pat when he notices that Shadow is holding something. He unclenches his fist and holds his hand up, waiting.

Shadow drops a blue piece of jade into his open palm, slightly slobbery, but Four pays no mind to that little tidbit. He holds up the stone, wiping the saliva away and watching how it shines in the sunlight.

“Woah,” He breathes, a smile steadily growing on his face. “This is awesome!” He looks down at his friend, who has sat down on his hindquarters and is quietly purring. Its red eyes crinkle at the edges.

“Where did you get this?” Four asks, trying to find a good spot to poke a hole through the jade. He’s been practicing his earth bending! He can absolutely mend the stone enough to fit it on his necklace alongside the red one. All his teachers say he’s a natural when it comes to the art. He surpasses every other student in his classes.

Shadow lets out a series of chirps, pawing at his tunic with a mischievous look in those red eyes. Four knows he won’t get an answer to his question, but that won’t stop him from asking, and that certainly won’t stop him from trying to adjust the shape of the jade. It’s his birthday! He can do whatever he likes today!

He holds it in one hand and concentrates, narrowing his eyes as his focus shifts to only the rock in his hand. He can feel the bits of earth, pulsing and waiting for his guidance. If he tugs it just a little bit this way…

The stone stretches way too far out to be considered even remotely natural. Four growls in frustration, adjusting his grip and _yanking_.

Shadow watches in curiosity as Four grapples with the stone and changes it into all sorts of wacky and weird shapes before finally managing to wrangle it into a shape somewhat similar to its original shape but with an added hole near one of the edges. While the hole itself is nowhere near as smooth as the one his father made on the red piece of jade, Four lets out a triumphant yell anyway and pulls his necklace off. He unties the cord as Shadow sniffs at the red gem, slipping the blue one on to join it.

“Thanks, buddy,” Four grins, slipping his necklace back on and beaming at the slightly heavier weight and the little clinking noise they make as they bump together. He finds that he feels much better now, a satisfaction that is so rare nowadays giving him a feeling of elation.

Shadow, having sensed this, growls playfully and begins batting at Four with its paws, being sure to keep its claws away from Four’s skin. Four laughs, returning the playful bats—though his just bounce right off while Shadow’s bowl him around. Ezlo chirps, flying around them in excited circles.

They grapple, play-wrestling and ripping up dirt and grass to throw at each other. At one point, Four manages to clamber on top of Shadow, digging his fingers into the thick fur and clinging on lest he falls off as Shadow bucks and jerks underneath him, scrambling around in an effort to throw Four off. Eventually, Shadow slows down enough to let Four relax his hold, simply running around their little patch of woodland. He cheers, raising a hand as Shadow gallops with a roar of its own.

Then Shadow comes to an abrupt stop, causing Four to fly off its back with a strangled yelp and land among the flowers in a heap of limbs and wheezing laughter.

* * *

His twelfth birthday rolls around unexpectedly. Four almost forgets the day himself, as he has been busy perfecting his bending arts and learning military tactics.

…Not that he even _wants_ to learn battle tactics. Four has found that while he is in a more than perfect position to join the Earth Kingdom’s army, he really has no desire to. Recently, he has become taken with the art of smithery, fascinated by the different ways metals can be molded and shaped to make a weapon.

He is reading a book about the subject outside the city when Shadow shows up, ears perking up and trotting increasing in speed when it spots him. Four smiles at the sight of his friend, nudging Ezlo to hop off his shoulder and scooting forward to create a space between himself and the tree he was leaning against. Shadow easily slips between, curling around Four and peering at the book with an inquisitive look in its eyes.

“It’s about blacksmithing,” Four explains. Shadow glances to their right, eyeing the stack of books about military tactics and battle formations.

Four scoffs. “I told Papa I wanted to go out and read, but he wouldn’t let me leave without those books. I had to smuggle this one so I could actually enjoy myself.”

Shadow snorts. It leans over Four’s book and drops something on the pages.

A purple piece of jade.

Four picks it up, wiping the slobber off. “Wow,” he muses, studying the gem. “It’s such a vibrant color!” He turns to his friend. “Where do you keep finding these?”

Shadow doesn’t reply—as usual. Instead, it returns to peering at the pages in Four’s book, letting out a low chirp. Ezlo sits on its head, letting out a curious tweet. Four holds the jade close to his chest where the other two sit, tugging at the earth within the purple piece to move the way he wants it to. It curls around the string, making a smooth hole in the jade to keep it in place. He has improved greatly over the years, especially considering the fact that his bending arts have begun to take all priority in school. The kingdom is pushing for the students of this day and age to master earth bending faster.

“I don’t understand,” Four mutters, flipping a page in the book. Shadow rumbles.

“All this crap about the Fire Nation,” Four elaborates. “Everyone thinks that they’re going to storm the kingdom, but there’s no way they can get past our artillery! We can snuff out all their flames with the very earth beneath our feet. We have absolutely nothing to worry about, because we have every advantage possible!”

Shadow growls, giving Four a pointed look.

Four groans, “Oh, not you too! Listen, the Fire Nation _can’t touch us._ Try all they might, they’ll get zero results.”

Shadow growls again, giving Four a light shove. He yelps as he is suddenly knocked over, his book being crushed against his chest as Shadow glares down at him.

“What is your problem today?” Four snaps. “You’re incredibly intelligent! You cannot tell me that we would _lose_ to the Fire Nation!”

Shadow barks, furiously shaking its head and clawing at the ground. Anger.

“Why are you so mad?” Four sits up, tossing his book aside and crossing his arms. Shadow shakes its head, huffing and lightly swatting at Four.

“Don’t pull that on me!” Four grabs a fistful of fur in each hand, holding Shadow’s head in place. “We’re going to be fine! We have the mightiest military out of all the other regions. The Fire Nation thinks they’re all high and mighty but in reality, they are nothing but a bunch of fools!”

Shadow does not look convinced, but does not try to protest again. It curls even closer to Four, an apologetic purr in its chest.

“It’s okay,” Four replies, leaning into Shadow while grabbing his book to resume reading about blacksmithing. “It’s troublesome that the Fire Nation would even try to pull a stunt like this. I can see why everyone is scared, but we have nothing to fear.”

But as he continues reading, he fails to notice the somber, concerned look in Shadow’s eyes.

* * *

Four pants as he runs, trying to summon spikes of earth to block the oncoming flames. A stray flame burns his hand and Four hisses through his teeth.

If only he could go back in time and yell at his younger self for being so _naïve_! Four years later, on his sixteenth birthday, Four is running through the streets of his home as his father and the soldiers stationed here fend off the Fire Nation army. He had been so confident, so arrogant, to think that the Earth Kingdom was untouchable due to high walls and decent defenses. He did not account for the Fire Nation having a force behind each attack that is just beyond _brutal_.

He bursts from the city walls, panting as he sprints towards the patch of woodland where Shadow lives. He might be able to lose his pursuers in the forest if Shadow can help him!

A spear grazes his side. Four yells as he trips over his own feet from the pain. He jerks an arm up, willing the earth to fly up and cover him like a shield as flames beat against it. His arm trembles under the assault, and he wonders just how long he can hold the earth up under such an intense attack with an injury that constantly distracts him from his concentration. Is this it? Is he doomed to die here?

A roar filled with pure fury has Four nearly losing his hold in surprise. He hears the soldier cry out as a loud thump accompanied by snarling reaches Four’s ears. The fire fades, and Four lets his shield down to see Shadow crushing the body of the soldier in its jaws.

More appear through the trees, pointing in their direction. Shadow turns to look at him, jerking its head with a bark.

“No…” Four whimpers as the soldiers begin closing in on them. Shadow snarls, jerking its head again before turning around to face the Fire Nation. Four, with tears welling up in his eyes, scrambles to his feet and starts running, biting back a sob and desperately trying to focus on getting to somewhere safe.

He doesn’t know how long he runs. He doesn’t know when it starts raining. He doesn’t know when the soldiers stop following him. Four ends up tripping over a stray root and crumbling to the ground, and only that makes him realize that he is no longer in immediate danger.

He should keep going. There must be a town nearby. Perhaps he can find a place to stay at and wait for his father.

But Shadow is still back there.

Without another thought, Four pushes himself to his feet and ignores his protesting limbs as he begins rushing back the way he came. Branches scratch at his cheeks, the ground slips underneath his feet, but Four doesn’t stop. His heart pounds in his chest, the blood roars in his ears. He has to get back to Shadow! He has to save his friend!

He comes to a scorched clearing, and he sees a lump in the center of it all. The rain obscures his sight, and Four forces himself to advance slowly.

However, his cautious approach is abandoned when he sees a green piece of jade shimmer in the faint light.

With a cry, Four sprints forward, falling to his knees beside the lump—_Shadow_! He fists his hands in the dark fur, desperately trying to shake his friend awake, and desperately trying to ignore all the wounds and burns and the spear sticking out of its flank.

Shadow doesn’t respond. It is limp under Four’s touch, cold as ice and stiff as a board. Four whimpers, trying again and again, but his results stay the same. With a wail, Four throws his arms around his friend’s corpse, burying his face into the fur and trying to find the comforting scent of Shadow among the smell of charred flesh and blood.

Ezlo joins him at some point, letting out a sad coo as Four sobs. He could have prevented this. He could have stayed and helped Shadow fight. Instead, he ran away like a _coward_\--!

Four feels a cold fury bubble up in his chest. The Fire Nation did this. They attacked Four’s home, and they stole his best friend from him. They killed Shadow. _They killed Shadow and Four can never forgive them for this._

It takes a massive amount of effort to pull away from his friend. He looks down to the green piece of jade, lying in the bloodied mud. He scoops it up and attaches it to his necklace with the rest of his pieces effortlessly.

“I will never forget you,” Four whispers in the rain. His arm feels heavier than the heaviest steel as he raises it and commands the earth to move. The ground beneath Shadow opens and slowly lowers its body into its depths. With another choked back sob, Four seals the body of his friend underneath the earth and turns away, a hand gripping the final piece of jade he will ever receive.

“I will never forget your kindness. I will make them pay for what they have done to you.”

**Author's Note:**

> :D  
Yeeeaaahh...  
I hope you enjoyed!


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